The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-09-28
MR. CLEVELAND IN THE SOUTH.
The Hon. William &. Oates Chats with a New
No.k Reporter on Pertinent Topics.
(From the New York Star.)


Prominent among the many not&b}es seen
here and there in the corridors Of tlc Fifth
Avenue Hotel today discussing finance,
stocks and politics, was Hon. William c.
Oats. representative of the Third Congrcs.
sional district Of Alabama.
After expressing his admiration for tic
Star, he spoke at length as to the feeling in
the South relative to President Clevcland's $
course and the conduc. of the adminiS:ra-
ton, and said:
"a general and well defined feeling pc
walls throughout the South that President
Cleveland is thoroughly honest and coz
scientous man and oEe whose greatest ain.
is to preserve the interests Of the country.
What do you think the Democratic
National Convention will do in 1888!
queried the reporter.
"Wcll. in answer to that | will say that
know what the delegates should dc: they
should renominate Cleveland for President
by acclamation.
"Do the Southern people indorse Cleve-
lands policy throughout
LAS near as | can learn they are ali OF
one accord as to the Cleveland's course as
the Chief Executive of the nation. 4 little
feeling of opposition was engendered during
the first wear of Cleveland's 5 administration,
owing to his strict conformity to the Civil
Service law, but the thinking people OF
the South applaud him for living up to tls:
words embodied in the Democratic plat
form of 1884, and upon which Cleveland
stood as the standard bearer OF the Demo
cratic party, promising the people TO be
true to the principles expressed, as lad
down and adopted by the convention which
nominated him
Then you are firm believer in civil
service reform, are you Congressman
Oates?"
mo, cir. Gen. Forney and myself voted
against Senator Pendletcns bill when tic
measure was first introduced in the House.
I believe, sir, that many competent. eiiI
c;ent and painstaking clerks should be re
| tained. owing to their knowledge Of and
experience in governmental affairs, bat
chiefs Of departments and chief clerks,
whose appointments were based wholly on
partisan zeal, should, in the interest OF true
reform, be called upon to resign.
"What do the Southern people think OF
the excitement occasioned by President
Clcvcland's order to return the captured
iags?'
"Well, sir, the Southern people are toe
busy and too intelligent to talk about the
matter. So far as the return of the flags is
concerned, the people of the South care not
one jot. They look upon the flags as q lot
Of old rubbish that should be burned OF
buried with the remnants of the bloody
shirt. When Charles Sumner advocated
obliterating the names of the battleheld<
from the flags out of respect to the feeling
of the people at the South, it was looked
upon by the Republican party as gracious
and kindly act Cleveland, feeling that
twenty years Of peace and prosperity had
cemented the ties once sundered by grim
war, thoughtit it would beamost conciliatory
act to issue such an order. Adjutant Gen,
eral Drum thought the same thing, bat a
few political demagagues knowing this aC'
ministration to be invulnerable as regards
honest motives, have to ferret out some
sensational issue that will furnish breeze 10
flap the tail OF the ensanguined garment,